Dead Man's Party
by nekoppi
Summary: AU of Alec's pov about first time meeting with Magnus


'It was printed on thin paper, nearly parchment, in a thin, elegant, spidery hand. It announced a gathering at the humble home of Magnus the Magnificent Warlock, and promised attendees _"a rapturous evening of delights beyond your wildest imaginings."'_

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Alec POV

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I've never consider to enjoy going to party without feeling out of place. But here I am, walking through the lines of factories and warehouses in Brooklyn to attend this High Warlock party who happened to take responsibility in messing up with Clary's mind. I saw the mundane boy, Simon, eagerly followed Izzy who explained to him about the Sensor and Jace engaged Clary into conversation, there's a look in his eyes which made me wanted to strangle myself. I'd say I'm jealous, and it's not making me feel better admitting it so I took a deep breath and walked passed them to join Izzy and Simon so I don't have to hurt my eyes and break my heart because of Jace and his new toy-girl.

I loved Jace. It's easy to convince myself about it. But the words would never passed out from my mouth, cause I'm a man and last time I checked, Jace was as manly as I am (even better) and all I could embrace from him was this unrequited and shameless feeling knowing that I can't tell him about it no matter how bad I want him to at least know and understand.

"_This is the right street!" _

We're arrived at a narrow avenue consisted of older warehouses and nearing the mundane residence. I was brooding at how Jace looking into Clary's eyes, or how Jace gently tapped her shoulder, when my eyes hit the lines of motorcycles parked in a front of warehouse. "Jace!" excitement ran through my veins at the sight of Vampires's bike, _sleek and silvery, with low-slung black chassis. Oily-looking tubes and pipes slithered up and around them, ropy as veins._ Izzy told Simon that _these bikes powered by demon energy_, and I added beamingly about how_ I've heard some of it could fly, or go invisible or even operated under water._

As we spoke, Jace was observing the bikes with the glint of mischief in his eyes. He brushed along the sleek chassis of one of bike, mouthing the words printed on it. Curiously, I asked, _"What are you doing?"_ cause I knew when he had those gaze on him he always came up with trouble. He's impulsive, stubborn and selfish, but I wouldn't deny they're also the reasons why I trapped in this pathetic love over him.

"_Nothing."_ He answered flatly, and so I decided to drop it. It's a tough job to be firstborn. It gets even worse if you loved someone like I did. No one really asked you to exclusively take-care your younger brothers and sister but the will to protect them (even from their own recklessness) bugged me like the buzzing sound of annoying bees dancing around my head and it won't stop haunted me, forever. Even right now, as we gathered at the front door of warehouse, I slightly hoped tonight we'll come home alive and unharmed. Especially Jace.

Izzy pressed the buzzer, while I scanned a row of empty list of residence, well, except for one name. BANE. I recalled the memory of this morning when I've heard the name for the first time. 'Magnus Bane.' And I wondered what kind of person having such name. What kind of devil marks he bared and what kind of personality and ability he had so I can manage some escaping plan to our team if the meeting didn't turn out well.

Izzy pressed the buzzer again, longer now, and it sounded so annoying so I caught her wrist when she's about to pinch for the third time, _"Don't be rude." _And she answered me with a glare and my name escaped as warning tone. I always hated it when my younger siblings looked at me venomously. I'm not supposed to feel guilty when I told them to behave. I'm not doing any wrong.

The door flew open and a slender man standing in the doorway and struck everyone into a group of statues. Izzy was the first to recover, while I… truthfully… I don't know what to say. I was expecting to see _a towering sort of figure, with huge shoulders and formal purple warlock's robes, calling down fire and lightning. _Not really… like_ a cross between a panther and a demented elf_.

"_Magnus? Magnus Bane?"_

"_That would be me."_ _The man blocking the doorway was as tall and thin as a rail, his hair a crown of dense black spikes. _He was part Asian from the shape of his eyes and his bronze-like skin. In his cocky pose, Magnus Bane slyly checking each head of us, and I couldn't help but lowering my gaze, focused on his glittery appearance. He was tall, even taller than Jace, I said it again as in such awkward moment, I trailed my eyes on his long, jeans-covered legs and felt slightly jumpy when I heard his voice addressing to all of us,

"_Children of Nephilim,"_ He whispered huskily, and I shuddered slightly for his voice made me so intimidated, so groggy. I took a glance at Jace to find if he felt the same with me. Nope. As usual Jace was too full of himself that no one else matter for him in this little world.

"_Well, well. I don't recall inviting you."_ the Warlock voice startled me again, forced me back to look straight into his face and tensely stood in alert. Not battle-alert, although he looked strong even in his flamboyant gesture and snobbish pout, as Izzy waved her invitation in triumph, and he took it from her while grumbling lowly, _"I must have been drunk." _He said, finally letting us in, _"come in. And try not to murder any of my guests."_

Ha-Ha. Very funny, I thought. Well, at least until Jace had an urge to challenge Magnus and failed, as the warlock was experienced enough to find suitable retort to someone like Jace. As I saw the others walked passed `Jace, I began questioning my sanity. What I love about Jace? Is it because he was handsome? Or is it because he was brutally honest? Cause I was sure even I can't really stand his temper. He tended to give people reason to hate him, intentionally or not.

Magnus's apartment was at the top of a long flight of rickety stairs. I watched Simon and Clary walked side by side, and I stayed walking in the back, not because of my nature as guardian in our team, I wanted to keep as much as distance with the warlock, after the sudden attack of sparkly glitters to my monochrome mind at the front door. I won't say I had interest to Magnus, but somehow his cat-like eyes swirled with strange emotions and made him looked so old and wise, despite his young appearance. He seemed so… deadly, and Jace didn't make a good start by threatening him for information.

As soon as our group entered the loft, I had difficulty on keeping track of everyone. Usually, it's only three of us and I could watch over Isabelle while Jace, he's pretty much okay as long as there are women around him. Now my mind was torn away in between looking at Isabelle and Simon who enjoyed themselves on the dance floor and to Clary who converse with Magnus near one of the pillar. Thankfully, Jace was focused in gaining info and so I followed him approaching Clary.

"MAGNUS BANE!"

I was ready to pull out my seraph blade when someone shouted the warlock's name angrily, and it turns out, a Vampire was complained about his bike which got vandalized outside the warehouse , _"Someone just poured holy water into the gas tank on my bike. It's ruined. Destroyed. All the pipes are melted." _

I took a glance at Jace. So that's what he did before?! I bit the inside of my cheek to hold my laugh, as I saw the Night Child argued with Magnus. Even when I supposed to aware how Magnus could strangle the Vampire with a twitch of finger, it didn't amused me less with such hilarious situation.

"_That was impressive."_ Jace said as we watched the Vampire grudgingly retreated from Magnus.

"_Oh you mean that hissy fit? I know. What is her problem?"_ Magnus answered, and a cough of laugh escaped my throat as I recalled again how miserable the man looked. I didn't believe myself, but I slightly pitied him for what happened to his motorbike.

"_We put the holy water in his gas tank, you know."_ I told Magnus, even though Jace told me to shut up cause we didn't know whether Magnus in our side or not.

"_I assumed that,"_ said Magnus, looking amused. It made my smile faltered and my face reddened in shame cause I don't think he'll pay attention to me or whatever I said. _"Vindictive little bastards, aren't you? You know their bikes run on demon energies. I doubt he'll be able to repair it." _

"_One less leech with a fancy ride," said Jace. "My heart bleeds." _

"_I heard some of them can make their bikes fly,"_ I decided to low my guard a little and whispered softly, didn't cover my enthusiast.

"_Merely an old witches' tale," _again, having the warlock answered for my words made me stunned for a second, blinked at seeing the glittering in his cat's eyes. He smiled smugly, I hope it's not because my stupefied face. I tend to make myself looked ridiculous almost all the time.

"_So is that why you wanted to crash my party? Just to wreck some bloodsucker bikes?"_ Magnus asked Jace again, and I'm this close to spun back and wait my friend outside cause I don't like how the atmosphere of this party made Magnus looked so…sexy and… tempting…

"_Am I in trouble with the Clave?"_ Magnus wondered.

"_Probably not."_ I didn't hear Jace already said 'no' and rewarded by a kick on my ankle, _"Ow!"_

I decided to keep my mouth shut. I'm not much of a talker like Jace and Izzy and I've got enough seeing glitter in a person, so I was back listening in silence. Although I still wondering how easy Jace argued with Magnus, didn't think of consequence and didn't have to care with hard feelings. I can't be like that. I only tailed them into Magnus bedroom where they could talk privately.

In there, I heard the story of Clary and I recalled what I've been doing to her since she came to Institute. Again I admitted, my jealousy over Clary blinded me from reading her situation, cause Jace was my Parabatai and he shouldn't wander alone, endangering himself. And I hate Clary cause she could make Jace world turned upside-down, the boy basically would do anything for her. It's not because I wanted same treatment. I wanted her to be thankful for his kindness and stop putting him in danger. Jace already suffered enough with his past. He didn't need a hot-headed teenage girl to be added more into his dead wish-list.

But she had reason for what she was now. Her mother was gone, this 'Luke' guy abandoned her and her house which was supposed to be the place where she was the safest, filled with ravener and forsaken. She had nowhere to go except to Jace and the Institute, and I decided to be exactly what she called me, a 'dick head'.

"_My mother did this to me? Why?" _

"_I don't know. It's not my job to ask questions. I do what I get paid to do."_ Magnus said flatly, yet his gaze hardened as Clary protested of what her mother did to her. Magnus said she didn't understand, as the man walked to the window as he said, _"The first time I ever saw you, you must have been about two years old. I was watching out this window". He tapped the glass, freeing a shower of dust and paint chips. "And I saw her hurrying up the street, holding something wrapped in a blanket. I was surprised when she stopped at my door. She looked so ordinary, so young." _

The moonlight touched his hawkish profile with silver. And as much as I'd love to hear his voice, I froze on my feet, comparing his beauty with Jace although I shouldn't. But I need to know what's so special on him, what makes him looked so elegant and regal despite his raccoon-like eyeliner and heap of glitter on his hair. I startled when he paused and turned at us, at me. But only for a second or so, cause then he continued while eyeing Clary. "Your mother, _she asked me if it was possible to blind you of the Sight."_

_Clary made a little noise, a pained exhalation of breath, but Magnus went on remorselessly_ and I can't help but pitying him. It's not really like me. I don't hate nor like Downworlder, but I've never pity them before. I simply pretended they didn't exist as long as they didn't turn rogue and breaking the law. However, this warlock made my heart wrenched in pain, especially when Clary didn't have intention to give him any mercy. He did something bad for a good reason. I kind of understand why he helped Clary's mother.

"_If you take the spell off me, will I be able to remember all the things I've forgotten? All the memories you stole?" _

"_I can't take it off you."_ Magnus looked uncomfortable.

"_What?"_ That's why, when Jace snarled at him furiously, I felt a little bit angry towards my parabatai. No, I thought, it's not like he didn't want to. _"Why not? The Clave requires you."_

_Magnus looked at him coldly. "I don't like being told what to do, little Shadowhunter." _

"_The spell…"_ Before Jace could retort, I spoke for him, softly apologized for his words, _"Don't you know how to reverse it?"_

Magnus still glared at us but then he sighed, _"Undoing a spell is a great deal more difficult than creating it in the first place. The intricacy of this one, the care I put into weaving it. If I made even the smallest mistake in unraveling it, her mind could be damaged forever. Besides,"_ he added, _"it's already begun to fade. The effects will vanish over time on their own." _

I sighed too and wished this conversation ended so we all could go home in piece. However, Clary seemed still need an urge to offend Magnus and Jace didn't give any help for stubbornly stayed in her side. Truthfully, just by seeing them is tiring me out. My pity over Clary became less and lessened until all I can think about her was, how stupid she was to blame others for damaging her life.

"_I didn't damage you." It was Magnus's turn to interrupt, his lips curled back angrily to show sharp white teeth. "Every teenager in the world feels like that, feels broken or out of place, different somehow, royalty mistakenly born into a family of peasants. The difference in your case is that it's true. You are different. Maybe not different. And it's no picnic being different. You want to know what it's like when your parents are good churchgoing folk and you happen to be born with the devil's mark?" He pointed at his eyes, fingers splayed. "When your father flinches at the sight of you and your mother hangs herself in the barn, driven mad by what she's done? When I was ten, my father tried to drown me in the creek. I lashed out at him with everything I him where he stood. I went to the fathers of the church eventually, for sanctuary. They hid me. They say that pity's a bitter thing, but it's better than hate. When I found out what I was really, only half a human being, I hated myself. Anything's better than that." _

Silence filled the air after Magnus snapped at Clary. No one dared to speak for what he said was true. Our life might be a whole mess, but others got worse than us so rather than complaining for something we couldn't change, we should think about our future instead, how to make it better than our past. Just like Magnus who can't decide who his parents were, he can do nothing except swallowed the bitter truth and move on with his life.

"_It's not your fault."_ I told Magnus, surprised at how loud my whisper turned be in this quietness. Magnus still looked hurt as our gaze met, _"You can't help how you're born."_

Magnus's expression was closed. _"I'm over it,"_ he gasped a breath, turning away from me to see Clary, _"I think you get my point. Different isn't better, Clarissa. Your mother was trying to protect you. Don't throw it back in her face." _

"_I don't care if I'm different_," Clary said. _"I just want to be who I really am."_

_Magnus swore. "All right. Listen. I can't undo what I've done, but I can give you something else. A piece of what would have been yours if you'd been raised a true child of the Nephilim."_ _He stalked across the room to the bookcase and dragged down a heavy volume bound in rotting green velvet._ The Gray Book, as Jace had been said aloud, but Magnus said nothing.

"_Hodge has one."_ I whispered at Jace, eyes kept on the open book where Magnus still flipping the pages, _"He showed it to me once."_

Clary grumbled something about how the book looked more 'green' than 'gray' and I held an urge to draw a 'smart' rune on her forehead, just to stop her from being dense. It's cute and I hate thinking about her as cute. I hate her.

"_Gray is short for 'Gramarye.'_" Jace explained to her, _"It means 'magic, hidden wisdom.' In it is copied every rune the Angel Raziel wrote in the original Book of the Covenant. There aren't many copies because each one has to be specially made. Some of the runes are so powerful they'd burn through regular pages." _

Wow. _"I didn't know all that." _I couldn't help but smile at Jace. See, this is why I love him.

Jace hopped up on the windowsill and swung his legs. _"Not all of us sleep through history lessons_." He said in tease

"_I do not."_ I tried hard not to pout. I don't want to look stupid too. Not in front of Clary and Magnus.

Jace smirked, _"Oh, yes you do, and drool on the desk besides." _Okay, he didn't care if my eyes almost popped out from the socket or if my face became flushed in embarrassment as long as he's still look badass.

"_Shut up."_ Magnus said to both of us, before he walked at Clary, asking her to study the page. He showed her the rune for understanding and remembrance to open her mind about the Marks. _"It also may serve as a trigger to activate dormant memories," said Magnus. "They could return to you more quickly than they would otherwise. It's the best I can do." _

_Clary looked down at her lap. "I still don't remember anything about the Mortal Cup." _

"_Is that what this is about?" Magnus sounded actually astonished_ and I can't find any reason to stop Jace and Clary for sharing information with the warlock. I had a feeling, we can trust him and that's not because of his charming smile and beautiful eyes. Just like the rest of us, he was familiar with the mortal instruments, although _nobody knows where the mirror is, nobody known for ages_.

"_It's the Cup that concerns us," said Jace. "Valentine's looking for it." _

Perhaps, Magnus knew about the Valentine and the Circle cause then he admitted to Clary that he lied for pretending not even heard the name before.

"_Were you at Uprising?"_ I asked him with anxiety clouding in my gaze. I was already born when it happened, but not old enough to understand anything at all. All I heard was the story about Valentine's ambition to wipe away Downworlders from the world and imagining Magnus presented in the battle giving cold air running on my back spine. I felt like a fugitive, an enemy to Downworlders and he pointed it out to me from his sharp gaze, forced me to stand still and looked back at him in fear.

"_I was. I killed a number of your folk."_ He said smoothly, still challenging me from his gaze like he was seeing someone else in my presence. Someone he hated with every glitter on him and I couldn't help but feel more remorse, more ashamed with myself. It's not how I expected on locking gaze to someone. I thought it'll be more… heartwarming rather than scary. Especially when Jace supposed to make us feel better by telling him that Circle members isn't the part of Shadowhunters anymore, there's a cold humor lit in his gaze as he sneered at me, _"If you insist on disavowing that which is ugly about what you do, you will never learn from your mistakes."_

He judged me and I can't just defend myself from that. So I turned away, _plucking at the coverlet with one hand, flushed an unhappy red._ _"You don't seem surprised to hear that Valentine's still alive."_

Magnus spread his hands wide. _"Are you?"_

No it's not like I'm surprised. I don't know Valentine. I've neither opposed him nor was I fighting by his side. That's not my life and that's definitely not my fault to be what I was born into. But I also knew world is harsh and hate was just as deep as love, I can't help it if he hated Shadowhunters existence because he saw the Circle members slayed his kinds. So I said nothing in return.

"_So you won't help us find the Mortal Cup?" Jace asked._

"_I wouldn't if I could," said Magnus, "which, by the way, I can't. I've no idea where it is, and I don't care to know. Only a fool, as I said." _

"_But without the Cup, we can't…"_ It struck me then to hear at how desperate I sounded, almost like I tried to beg him, in my own, gloomy way. He was still looking at me, but with less anger and more… thoughtful, like he considering whether should he hate me or not. I don't know the difference really. He's a Downworlder and I'm a Shadowhunter, we didn't need to get along… right?

"_Make more of you. I know,"_ Magnus finished my words by a husky whisper, _"Perhaps not everyone regards that as quite the disaster that you do. Mind you," he added _firmly_, "if I had to choose between the Clave and Valentine, I would choose the Clave. At least they're not actually sworn to wipe out my kind. But nothing the Clave has done has earned my unswerving loyalty either. So no, I'll sit this one out. Now if we're done here, I'd like to get back to my party before any of the guests eat each other." _

He said it right, again yet the words like a hard slap to our Shadowhunters pride. Jace couldn't accept it but the boy also couldn't speak a word against Magnus. His palms clenched and his jaw hardened in anger, so I grasped his shoulder. No, whatever he tried to speak or to do, it won't be good for all of us. We stepped the boundary here, for demanding more than we deserved from Magnus. So I stared at Magnus again after calming down my nervous heart beat, _"Is that likely?"_ I asked, as gently as I could while pleading him with my gaze.

Magnus expression was softened and it's really not good for health cause I can't calm down when his eyes looked at me with gleam of amusement. I'm happy to gain attention from him, to let him listen to my words despite my lack in cuteness (like Clary) and bad-boy charm (like Jace). What I'm not ready is imagining him putting some interest in someone like me, but he did, or so I thought he did as he said, _"It's happened before."_

"_I'm fine. Let me go."_ Jace muttered, and detached himself from me. I didn't budge. In fact, I'm turning into a trance as Magnus ushered all of us to get out from his bedroom. For the nth-time tonight, I felt odd with myself. Just because Magnus gaze and voice kept replaying in my mind, my steps became so light, my mind became fuzzy and I smelt something in the air. A nice scent, though I don't know how to name it since I'm no fragrance expert. I've never cared to whatever soap I used as long as I'm clean from blood and ichor.

"_I hate faerie band."_ Magnus scowled as he stood near, making me yelped cause he was still lounging around us. He took a glance at me, eyeing my dumbstruck expression while his scent giving me too much curiosity, I had an urge to ask if it's normal if I want to smell like him, without him or anyone else thinking I like the fragrance because it reminds me of him. _"All they ever play is mopey ballads."_ He told me again, and I felt sorry cause I don't know anything about ballad or music in general. All I know is Jace piano play which sounded so beautiful.

He seemed understand, cause his lips twitched into a small smile and I felt like my own heart stabbed by seraph blade.

"_Where's Isabelle?"_

My attention averted from Magnus, and my eyes immediately scanned the room to find my little sister. _"There she is."_ She was waving at us and I sighed in relief as I waved her to come over. Then, a hand pinched my butt and my face flustered in embarrassment as I eyed a Phouka guy who walked passed me, then at Magnus who stayed in my another side. He was staring at me intensely and I turned away to give all blame to the phouka who now eyeing my little sister with interest, _"watch out for the phouka." _I added hastily, _"He pinched me when I passed him earlier…. In a highly personal area." _

Jace gave me a look_, "I hate to break it to you, but if he's interested in your highly personal areas, he probably isn't interested in your sister's." _

Urgh, that's not what I mean.

"_Not necessarily,"_ but then Magnus spoke and it spun attention from everyone to him, including me, no matter how hard I tried not to. He smiled coyly as he rested his gaze on me, apparently enjoying it when I had to keep questioning myself about my sanity tonight, _"Faeries aren't particular."_

"_Jace! Alec! Where have you been? I've been looking all over."_

Izzy came in her drunken giggle and we're surrounded her, when she told Clary that her mundane friend was turned into rat, literally. Truthfully I don't care and I'm sure Jace and Izzy was less care to Simon, since we all knew the effect will wear off in a few hours. And seeing Clary shouting and yelling all day is tiring me. Even Magnus watched with spark of hope in his eyes. Maybe he expected bitches fight, Shadowhunters style, it'll be good show for guests.

He looked at me and smile, silently questioned of why I rudely stared at him.

"Your… smell…" I began and soon lost my breath.

He looked hurt… or confused, I can't really tell, but since I don't want him to think of me wrongly, I gulped and asked, "I mean… your perfume… what's the name of it?"

He sniffled the air, "oh, this. It's sandalwood." When he's not talking about war or Valentine, he looked so gentle and mature. It made my face heated, as if I'm not enough burned by embarrassment, "do you like it?"

I nodded and said no more as Izzy approached us and dragged Magnus to the bar while complaining about Clary and her annoying threat. I remembered she gave me strange look, then at Magnus, before she shook her head and brought Magnus to Clary as she was being told to. She disliked being told but she also felt a little bit guilty over the mundane boy.

"_Rattus norvegicus,"_ said Magnus, peering at Simon with scrunched nose. _"A common brown rat, nothing exotic."_

I pursed my lips in attempt to hide my laugh from Clary. I'm not afraid of her. She just too hostile and it was noisy. Even after long debate in Magnus bedroom, she still had nerve to challenge Magnus. And she's doing it in cute way, that's why I still hate her.

"_You know,"_ when there's a noise in the other side of room, Magnus left us and Clary let out a frustrated growl, so I gave her a little advice, _"you could always put the rat in your backpack."_

She glared at me, since I'm the only one tonight who didn't get on her bad side _yet_. Well, except Jace. Jace was always in her good side even if he's an ass. That's the point of blind love.

"_All right, that's IT! Party's over! Everybody out!"_ On our way out, I saw Magnus waved his arms, shedding glitter in process. He looked so irritated since the vampires asked too much and ruined the mood of party. We watched the room getting cleared out from Downworlder with displeased scoff on their faces. No one thanked Magnus for the party but I guessed it's not in their culture.

"_Vampires are such prima donnas,"_ Magnus leaned onto the doorway, sighing, _"Honestly, I don't know why I have these parties." _

I don't know either.

"_Because of your cat,"_ Clary reminded him.

Magnus perked up. _"That's true. Chairman Meow deserves my every effort." _He glanced at us, eyeing each head of us just like he did at the front door, _"You on your way out?"_

Jace nodded. _"Don't want to overstay our welcome."_

"_What welcome?"_ Magnus snorted and I dropped my gaze to the floor. I did felt happy meeting him, but I realized he fought many of Circle members, who are also Shadowhunters, of course he wouldn't turn pleasant towards us. _"I'd say it was a pleasure to meet you, but it wasn't. Not that you aren't all fairly charming."_ I looked up to cast a silent goodbye for him, maybe forever but his eyes was on me as he whispered_, "and as for you."_ he winked seductively and my heart just fell to the floor, _"call me?"_

Whaaaaaat?

W-W-What-was-just-happened?!

Did he just…?!

Wait!

Wait, Jace! I screamed mentally when Jace dragged me away from the door with a low grumble. Wait! Shouldn't I ask for his number? He said to call him but how exactly I do that without his number…?!

"Get over it." Jace shook me to drive me back to conscious, "he's only playing with your mind."

Did he? As we stepped out from the warehouse, the chilly air outside began clearing my mind from the euphoria of the party and drifted away Magnus's smell all around me. I inhaled a deep breath, didn't want to thank Jace for bringing me back to reality cause reality hurts and the party in this warehouse really gave me what it promised of _"a rapturous evening of delights beyond your wildest imaginings."'_

I probably should thank Magnus later, if we ever met again, for letting me know a good side in High Warlock and a nice fragrance named sandalwood.


End file.
